Of Demons and Cursed Springs
by Cyberbanjo
Summary: During a feud between rival schools Furinkan and Sarayashiki, the toughest students from each get in a fight. Things escalate, however, when their respective foes appear, working for a single enemy. A Ranma/Yu Yu Hakusho crossover.
1. Fight

Of Demons and Cursed Springs

(Title subject to change)

Well, maybe I should be working on my other stories, but I just recently got addicted to Ranma 1/2, reading the entire manga in the period of a few weeks and throughout the whole thing, I kept thinking about how Ranma reminded me of Yusuke. Well, one thing led another and here we are; welcome to Of Demons and Cursed Springs! Yeah, not the best title, I know. I may end up changing it later if I think of a better one.

Anyways, this will take place after the Dark Tournament Saga from Yu Yu Hakusho, but before the Chapter Black Saga. As for Ranma 1/2, it will take place after the final arc for simplicity's sake.

* * *

"So, remind me _why_ we're waiting here again?" Yusuke Urameshi asked, tapping his foot impatiently. He was standing in the soccer field of an unfamiliar school the Nerima district of Japan and surrounded by his fellow students of Sarayashiki School.

Yusuke was immediately showered with loud shouts of "We've got to show those punks from Furinkan High who's boss!" and "To reclaim our honor!" or some variant of the exclamation. Yusuke sighed in exasperation. Yeah, he always loved a good fight and he _was _the toughest kid at Sarayashiki, but he had no personal stake in this feud. Apparently, when the students from Furinkan went to Sarayashiki for a soccer match, the game ended up devolving into a giant brawl without a clear winner. Of course, the students of Sarayashiki were punished by the teachers for behaving so hot-headed, and they felt the only way to regain their lost honor was through another fight against Furinkan between the toughest and second-toughest of the respective schools.

If Yusuke cared more, he might have pointed out the obscene logic error, but frankly this didn't concern him at all. After fighting off demons like Toguro at the Dark Tournament, what entertainment could he get from fighting other humans? _High school students_, no less. In fact, the _only _reason he was here at all was to prevent the overzealous Kuwabara from getting too gung-ho over the honor thing and really hurting someone. No, not like a broken bone, but _really _hurt. When it came to honor, Kuwabara could sometimes forget just exactly who he was up against, and after fighting demons for such a long time, things had the opportunity to end badly.

Yusuke cracked his knuckles impatiently. All he had to do was put the toughest kid from Furinkan out of commission quickly and maybe this whole thing would blow over. He smirked. Still, he hadn't fought anyone in a while now, and maybe the punk might actually be good enough to make this fun. Yusuke sighed, looked up at the gloomy, cloudy sky and laughed a bit. _'Yeah, right.'_

"Hey, what's this? Urameshi actually thinkin' for once?" Kuwabara said, smirking about Yusuke's uncharacteristic brooding. While the two had been close allies in the Dark Tournament, now that it was over, they had quickly settled back into their usual rivalry and antagonism.

Bored with the conversation already, Yusuke pounded Kuwabara on the head. "Look, I was just thinking that we should make sure not to hurt these two _too _badly, if you know what I mean." Yusuke made a subtle 'gun' shape with his hand, wary of mentioning anything specific in front of his classmates.

Kuwabara grunted. "Yeah, I get your drift, but I think you're worryin' too much." The student smirked, rubbing his nose with his index finger. "I, unlike you, am able to keep my strength in check."

Yusuke smirked back. "Yeah, because you're that much weaker than I am."

"Why you-!" Kuwabara yelled angrily, taking a swing at, and missing, Yusuke.

Keiko looked on disapprovingly as the two skirmished. Honestly, a fight against other _students_? What were those two thinking? There was no way this could end well. Besides, Yusuke and Kuwabara hadn't even been at school when the soccer brawl had taken place. They had no reason to be acting so excited. "Honestly you two. Try to be careful."

Yusuke smirked confidently. "Don't you worry, Keiko. I'm more than a match for whoever thinks he's the toughest at this school! What was his name again...?"

"I think it was some punk called Tatewaki Kuno who issued the challenge." Kuwabara said, shrugging. "He sounds like a pushover to me."

By now, the students from Furinken had filtered out onto the field as well. As the two student bodies faced off, Yusuke and Kuwabara stepped forward into the center. They were met by a young man wearing a samurai gi and holding a wooden sword. "Welcome, students of Sarayashiki." He said in an overly dramatic poetic voice. "As the strongest student from Furinkan, I hereby-"

"Strongest student my _butt_!" A black haired pigtailed student in red shouted, punting the speaker completely off of school grounds. He smirked. "Sorry about that. That guy can never get over his ego. _I _am the strongest one in this school." He then gestured to what appeared to be a fairly effeminate boy holding a large metal spatula. "That there's Ukyo Kuonji, the second strongest."

Yusuke smirked back. "I see. I am Yusuke Urameshi," he then gestured at Kuwabara. "And this here is Kazuma Kuwabara." Yusuke confidently stared the pigtailed student directly in the eye. "So I take it you're Tatewaki Kuno, then?"

A vein pulsed in the boy's forehead as he tried to cover his anger with a transparent cool attitude. "Actually, no." He lunged at Yusuke. "The name's Ranma Saotome!"

Yusuke's confident smirk vanished as he barely dodged the boy's punch, which created a large crater in the ground. Instead, it returned with a much more interested attitude. "Well, would you look at that. This might actually be fun after all!" He threw a powerful jab straight at Ranma's face, but the student from Furinkan blocked it with practiced skill, and countered with a sharp right hook, hitting Yusuke square in the jaw.

"You pulled that last punch." Ranma said angrily. "Don't you hold back on this fight." He threatened.

"Heh. Your punch actually hurt." Yusuke said, wiping blood from his mouth, but still smirking. _Who knew a student could actually be a challenge? This is getting good! _"Fine then. Let's see how you handle THIS!" Yusuke threw another punch at Ranma, who attempted to block it. Changing tactics in the blink of an eye Yusuke dropped into a crouch and used his leg to sweep Ranma's feet out from under him. Ranma, however, caught himself with his arm, and, still doing a one-handed handstand, kicked at Yusuke's face. The Spirit Detective evaded the kick just in time by dropping onto his back.

Ranma took immediate advantage of the situation, jumping to his feet and punching directly down at Yusuke's head. Yusuke quickly rolled out of the way, swinging his leg around and kicked Ranma square in the stomach.

The power of the kick, as well as the angle, sent the Furinkan student rocketing into the air. Yusuke jumped after him, intending to strike before he could recover. Ranma was ready for him, grabbing Yusuke by the arm, and, spinning a few times, launched him down.

Yusuke impacted on the top of Furinkan High, damaging the roof with the force of his impact. Ranma landed relatively gracefully on the roof, prepared to continue the fight.

* * *

The students immediately took off towards the distant school in an attempt to reach the roof in time to watch the rest. Kuwabara and Ukyo, however, had already begun fighting and paid no attention to the disappearing crowd.

"Take THIS!" Ukyo shouted, throwing three small metal spatulas at Kuwabara. Kuwabara dodged the first two, but the third nicked his arm, cutting his sleeve in the process.

"Geez, you sure like spatulas, don't ya, punk?" Kuwabara taunted, rushing forwards and attempting to punch Ukyo.

Ukyo, countered by swinging the much-larger spatula, uppercutting Kuwabara in the jaw with the flat of it. Kuwabara flew back, and landed on his back but quickly jumped back to his feet.

_'Damn! I can't even get near this guy as long as he keeps using that thing'._ Kuwabara thought, rubbing his chin. He looked down at his hand. It would be so easy just to channel his spirit energy... _'Darn it! It wouldn't be fair to use it on an ordinary student!'_ "Hey, punk! This is a man-to-man fight! Stop using that lousy excuse for a weapon!"

This got Ukyo angry. " 'Lousy excuse for a weapon?' 'Man-to-man fight?' You don't know who you're talking to!" Ukyo jumped forward, swinging the large spatula wildly. Kuwabara barely jumped out of the way in time. "I'm Ukyo Kuonji! The greatest okonomiyaki chef in Nerima! My fighting style is based on these spatulas! Are you really so weak that you want a handicap?"

" 'Weak?' " Kuwabara repeated, clenching his fists. "Fine. But if I don't get a handicap, _you don't either_!" Energy cackled around his hand, forming into a spiritual blade. "Rrrraaah! _Spirit Sword!_"

"Wha-" Ukyo gasped as Kuwabara sprinted forward. Ukyo swung at Kuwabara with the large spatula out of reflex, but the student from Sarayashiki sliced it clean in half with his energy sword. Ukyo stumbled backwards in surprise, but Kuwabara grabbed onto the student's school uniform and pulled. The jacket ripped open, but the force of the pull still changed Ukyo's trajectory. As the chef fell back towards the other student, Kuwabara delivered a single powerful punch to Ukyo's face. The force sent Ukyo flying backwards, landing on the ground, unconscious.

"Suck on that, punk." Kuwabara taunted, cracking his knuckles. However, he paled when he caught sight of what was under Ukyo's now-torn jacket.

* * *

Yusuke struggled to his feet to face down his opponent on the top of the school. "Heh." He smirked. "You're tougher than I ever thought another student could be. In fact, you may actually be almost as strong as me."

"Almost?" Ranma asked, also smirking. "In case you didn't notice, I'm the one whose been throwing you around."

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, that's true." He turned perpendicular to Ranma with his right arm outstretched and pointing his index finger at the boy. "That's why I don't have to worry about accidentally killing you with this." He said as he began focusing his spirit energy into his finger. Yusuke was slightly surprised when he felt a wet droplet hit his hand. Still, he didn't worry, as Yusuke realized that the clouds overhead must have finally started to release rain.

"Bring it on." Ranma said, shifting his stance to prepare for the blast. However, after a second he too noticed the droplets which were quickly turning into actual rain. He completely dropped his guard, looking wildly around. "Rain? Not now of all times!"

"You shouldn't let yourself get so distracted! _Spirit Gun!_" Yusuke shouted, releasing a powerful blast of spirit energy and blasting Ranma clear off the roof.

Yusuke wasn't about to wait for Ranma to get a sneak attack in, so after he saw his foe impact the ground, creating a small crater, he jumped after him. The Spirit Detective landed in front of the crater with a smirk. "Sorry, Ranma. But I guess you're just not quite good enou-" Yusuke's words caught in his throat and his smirk vanished as he realized Ranma was nowhere to be found. Instead he saw, likely caused by Ranma's impact, an unconscious girl.

* * *

Well, unlike Ranma 1/2, I haven't actually read/watched YYH in a few years now, so I hope I was able to get the characterization fairly accurate... (probably not the smartest idea to do the whole chapter from more-or-less their perspective instead of the Ranma cast, but whatever). Also, I hope no one is sore about who is or isn't stronger in these fights. After all, the characters spent much of the battles holding back and/or distracted, so it really wasn't a fair fight to begin with.

On an interesting note, I originally thought Kuno's first name was Victor for some odd reason... (Ten points to anyone who can guess why!)

Finally, I am I big fan of reader input, so feel free to make suggestions for events in later chapters. I've got the general plot thought up, but I really like to see what the readers want, and I try to include what I can. Well, this author's not is getting long, so I'll end with "Review please!"


	2. Aftermath

Of Demons and Cursed Springs

Chapter 2

Yusuke couldn't believe it. He'd been so careful... he'd made sure to keep himself in check until he knew Saotome could take it... How could Saotome have been so... dishonorable?

The punk had clearly bolted when he realized he'd caused this girl's injury by his fall. _'Unless... unless he's waiting for a moment to attack!_' Yusuke cast his eyes wildly about, but no one was there. Still keeping aware of his surroundings, Yusuke shifted his focus to the girl. Oddly, she wore a red shirt just like Ranma's and her red hair was in a pigtail like his as well. Was it their school uniform? No... that couldn't be it. The other Furinkan students didn't dress like that. Perhaps they belonged to the same club? Or maybe they were somehow related?

Yusuke clenched his fists in fury. Ranma and this girl clearly knew each other somehow, and yet he was nowhere to be found after landing on her! He scooped her light frame up into his arms. This girl had nothing to do with their fight... he would take her back to the group of students and see if she had any friends or relatives there. He grimaced. Then he could find that coward Saotome and finish their fight.

* * *

Minutes earlier, Keiko, slid to a halt, panting as the rest of the students from Furinkan and Sarayashiki continued their run through the school towards the stairs to the rooftop. She'd seen the explosion in the window as well as the figure sent flying, and knew Yusuke's Spirit Gun had to be the cause. Since that was the case, she knew running to the roof would be pointless, so she quickly changed direction and started running back towards the exit and the soccer field. A girl with short black hair in a Furinkan uniform seemed to realize this as well, quickly overtaking Keiko and running full sprint outside.

Keiko clenched her fists. How could Yusuke have done that? Ranma was clearly strong, but a spirit energy attack was way too dangerous to use on an ordinary person!

It turned out that Keiko and the girl with short black hair had made the right choice in leaving. Just then, an even younger girl stepped into the hall. She noticed the group of students fighting to get onto the stairs and shouted, "No fighting in the halls!" Then she held out a fifty-yen coin piece and yelled, "Happo Fifty-Yen Satsu!" In a bright flash of light, the students slumped to the floor, conscious but weak.

Keiko was paid no attention to the phenomenon and quickly sprinted out the exit and onto the grounds and the rain.

* * *

Yusuke returned to the soccer field to a puzzling sight. The field was completely deserted save for an unconscious Ukyo, and Kuwabara, who was on his knees with his face in his hands. Hearing strangled sobs, Yusuke realized Kuwabara was crying.

"Hey Kuwabara, what's with you?" Yusuke questioned, raising an eyebrow. "It looks like you won. Why so down?"

"Why so down?" Kuwabara repeated, bitterly sniffling. "Take a look at Ukyo!" He pointed to the student and then burst into tears again.

Yusuke got closer to inspect the student. "What? I don't see anythi-" He stopped, noticing that underneath Ukyo's jacket, there was an undershirt, as was to be expected, but also _breasts_! "Wait a second... Ukyo's a _girl_?" Yusuke gasped.

"That's right!" Kuwabara sobbed. "I punched out a girl! I can never forgive myself!" Suddenly, he noticed the unconscious girl that Yusuke was carrying. "Wait, who's that?" He jumped to his feet angrily. "How could you beat up a girl?" He demanded ironically, getting into his fighter's stance.

"Now wait just a second." Yusuke said. "First of all, you beat up a girl too..."

Kuwabara degenerated back into sobs, falling to his knees again. "Oh God, I punched out a girl, oh God, oh God..."

Yusuke sighed in exasperation. "And _secondly, I_ didn't do this to her. Ranma Saotome did!"

Kuwabara once again jumped to his feet. "_What?_ How dare he? Where'd he go, Urameshi? We've got to teach that girl-hitting punk a lesson!"

"Look, I don't know where he went," The Spirit Detective began. "But why don't we first find someone who can take care of Ukyo and this girl? Where did everybody go anyways?"

Just then, the Furinkan girl with short black hair ran up looking very worried. "Oh my God! You two _won_?" She looked at Ukyo and the pigtailed girl in turn with looks of shock and confusion. "You beat Ukyo and Ran-" She paused for a second "-ko?"

"You know this girl?" Yusuke asked, jerking his head to indicate the person in his arms.

The black-haired girl nodded. "Yes, her name is... Ranko. She's my... um... cousin. What happened to her?"

"That Saotome punk did this to her!" Kuwabara yelled angrily as Keiko arrived on the scene.

"That Ranma boy did this?" Keiko said, shocked and completely forgetting the lecture she'd planned for Yusuke.

The Furinkan girl laughed a bit. "Ranma? I doubt it..."

"Believe what you want." Yusuke said. "All I know is Ranma must have landed on her when he fell off the roof. That's why she's been injured."

The girl looked uncomfortable. "Um... if you wouldn't mind, could you help me take these two back to my house? It's only a few blocks from here and I can't carry both on my own."

"Fine." Yusuke responded. "I guess this is sort of my responsibility, but after that I'm going to find that Saotome guy and finish our fight."

The girl shrugged. "You can try, I guess. Ranma's a lot stronger than you may think."

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah, well you can think that if you want too, I guess. Kuwabara, pick up Ukyo and let's go." Kuwabara however, shook his head, sobbing slightly again.

"I...I punched her... really hard." Kuwabara confessed. "I don't deserve to touch her after what I did."

Yusuke groaned. "In case you forgot, _she was fighting you!_"

"Yeah, b-but...." Kuwabara choked Yusuke groaned again

"Yusuke..." Keiko scolded. "Why don't you leave Kuwabara alone. He obviously feels guilty." She turned to the other boy. "Kuwabara, are you sure you won't carry Ukyo?" She asked kindly.

Kuwabara shook his head and suddenly the unconscious Ranko was shoved into his arms. "W-what's this?"

"It's not that complicated." Yusuke muttered angrily. "You carry Ranko and _I'll _take Ukyo, okay?

After they finally had the arrangement's settled, they followed after the Furinkan girl who introduced herself as Akane Tendo. As they followed her back to her house, Kuwabara looked down at the unconscious redhead in his arms. She just looked so helpless, needing protection.... Kuwabara blushed. And she _was _pretty cute....

"Kuwabara, stop falling behind!" Yusuke shouted at him.

"Oh! Sorry!" Kuwabara shouted, embarrassed and quickening his pace.

* * *

"Excuse me. Do you by any chance know how to get to Nerima?" Ryoga Hibiki asked a random student passing by.

The student, a boy with long red hair and a purple uniform, looked at Ryoga quizzically. He wasn't confused because Nerima was far, but because they were standing next to a large public map with 'Nerima' labeled very clearly. "Why, yes. It's a few towns over in that direction." He pointed off into the distance. "There _is _a map right next to you, you realize."

Ryoga scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Well, to tell the truth, I don't have the best sense of direction, so a map wouldn't help me to much."

The boy nodded politely. "I see. Well, I wish you the best of luck finding your destination, but I must be off."

"Oh. Well, thanks anyways." Ryoga said, setting off.

"Excuse me." The boy said, noticing Ryoga again. "Nerima is _that _way." He pointed in the same direction he had before.

"Heh." Ryoga chuckled nervously. "Right. Sorry."

The red haired student, Shuichi Minamino, returned to his thoughts as he walked away. _'That definitely was odd.' _He was blocked, however by a large man in a trench coat and hat obscuring his face. "Excuse me." He said, attempting to pass.

The man smirked. "Can't let you do that, Kurama."

Shuichi, better known as Kurama became immediately more alert. This man knew who he was. In addition, he was attempting to _threaten_ him. Was it a demon? If so, it had to be either very powerful or very foolish, attacking in a crowded street such as... _'Wait.' _Kurama noticed that the street was filled with people wearing similar coats. More than that, they had gradually surrounded him. _'How could I have been so foolish? Letting my guard down like that?'_ Still making sure to keep a calm expression, his eyes darted around wildly, trying to formulate a plan. Kurama already had a few basic ones, but he knew nothing about this mysterious group of people.

"You're not getting out of here that easily, Kurama." The 'man' said, removing his hat to reveal horns and blue skin, just as the rest of the people on the street did the same. "You're supposed to be pretty good with plants, huh?" When Kurama didn't answer, he continued. "Well, then we're here to take you in. We've got a very important use for you." Seeing Kurama shift his weight to his center in what appeared to be a fighter's stance, the demon chuckled. "Oh please. Don't think you can escape. We've got you surrounded."

Kurama was relatively calm, however. The group was made up entirely of low-ranked demons. D or E class, probably. As long as he was careful, they wouldn't be a problem. However, what he was more worried about was what had succeeded in mobilizing such a large number of demons for a single cause. '_I'll have to make sure to leave one alive to question_.' He thought as he removed a rose from his pocket.

* * *

Ryoga stopped, hearing a violent group of yells coming from behind him. He turned around, seeing a large mob of people attacking...someone. _'Wait! That's the way that nice kid went!' _Temporarily forgetting about Nerima, the boy booked it back towards the mob, swinging his incredibly heavy umbrella aloft.

* * *

When Yusuke's group finally reached Akane's home, they were greeted by, of all things, a giant panda, which received a swift kick to the face from both Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Take that, you vicious bear!" Kuwabara yelled down at the concussed creature. "That'll teach you to wait in people's homes, ...holding signs that say... 'welcome home...' " Comprehension dawned on him. "Oh. Uh, sorry Akane."

"Oh, it's fine." Akane said with a completely insensitive expression. "He's endured a lot worse than that."

"Oh, Akane. You're home early." A long haired young woman said, entering with a smile.

Akane nodded. "Well, Ukyo and Ran_ko _got hurt at school, and so these three offered to help me get them home."

The young woman then handed Akane a small, grubby looking passage. "Make sure to give this to Ran_ko _when she wakes up. It's from you-know-where." Still smiling, she gave Akane a really obvious wink.

"Thanks, Kasumi." Akane muttered.

Yusuke, Kuwabara and Keiko were puzzled by the secrecy, as well as the odd pronunciation of Ranko's name, but they decided to let it go. After leaving Ukyo in Akane's room and Ranko in another, they made to leave until Kasumi invitited them to stay for tea. Although Yusuke didn't really feel like staying, Keiko, and, surprisingly, Kuwabara, made a big deal about being polite and insisted they stay.

It wasn't long before Ranko emerged. scratching herself in a very unfeminine way. "Hey Akane, what happened? Last thing I remember is...." She stopped, noticing the three newcomers at the table. "YOU! What are you doing here?"

"Now, _Ranko_," Akane said, once again putting emphasis on the word, almost like she was prompting her. "Yusuke here was nice enough to carry you here after you _somehow_ got hurt at school."

"I'm telling you, it was that Saotome punk." Yusuke muttered.

Kuwabara, not hearing, jumped to his feet with a blush. "A-actually, Ranko... I'm the one who carried you home..."

"Great." Ranko said sarcastically. She paused for a second. "I-I mean, thank you very much mister!" She exclaimed, suddenly much more feminine than before.

Yusuke groaned. Kuwabara needed to make up his mind already. Hadn't he already professed his love to Yukina?

"Oh, look. It's stopped raining." Kasumi observed, looking out the window.

Ranko started, looking out the window. "Well what do you know? It _has_. I'll be right back, I just need to take a quick bath..." She said, scampering off.

"What was that all about?" Keiko asked.

"Oh darn, I forgot to tell her about the package..." Kasumi reprimanded herself.

Suddenly, the pleasant conversation was interrupted as Ranma Saotome leaped into the room and delivered a flying kick Yusuke's face, shouting. "IT'S TIME FOR ROUND TWO, PUNK!

* * *

End Chapter

Ah Kuwabara, what a hopeless romantic...

Well, as you can see, things are already getting more serious than just a simple school fight, as Yusuke and Ranma are soon going to have to realize if they hope to stand any chance in the future. I feel like I should have more to say, but I'll just end by saying to please review, and feel free to suggest things you'd like to see!

* * *


	3. Rematch

Of Demons and Cursed Springs

Huh. Despite being pretty unpopular when it was actually first published, the amount of fans of this fic have increased a lot since then, especially considering there were only two chapters of sub-par writing... I FEEL LIKE A RENAISSANCE ARTIST! YEAH!

Chapter 3

* * *

Propelled by the violent strike to his face, Yusuke tumbled through one of the paper doors in the ancient-Japanese-styled house, straight into an enclosed garden. They had an _enclosed garden_? _'Jeez, these people really embraced ancient Japanese culture, didn't they?' _Yusuke thought, spying a banzai tree among other stereotypical ornaments. Honestly, it looked like something out of an old samurai movie... Yusuke jumped to his feet to prepare for Ranma's next attack. Sure enough, the black-haired martial artist was already flying straight at him with another kick. Yusuke jumped to the side and grabbed Ranma's leg, swinging him around towards a small pond located in the center of the garden.

"Woah!" Ranma shouted shifting his midair position and therefore his momentum, managing to land on the other side of the pond. For once he actually looked shaken, paling as he seemed to consider the possibility of falling into the pond. However, this display of fear was suppressed so quickly that Yusuke wasn't sure he'd seen it at all. "Look, Urameshi!" He called across the small body of water. "I could kick your ass here, but we would risk damaging Akane's house, and trust me: neither of us want to be on that tom-boy's bad side."

"Tom-boy!?" Akane shouted from the house, completely enraged, but Yusuke and Ranma ignored her.

"If it's that important to ya, fine." Yusuke conceded. "But it won't change a thing. I'm still gonna pound you flat, just like last time."

"Just keep telling yourself that." Ranma muttered, jumping from the interior garden onto Akane's roof and then off of the other side as Yusuke followed.

"Hey, Urameshi! Wait for me!" Kuwabara said, gearing up to follow.

"More tea?" Kasumi asked.

"Oh, yes please." Kuwabara said, returning to his kneeling position around the Tendo's traditional-style table.

* * *

Kurama swung his whip around, killing the last of the demons, and the grimaced slightly. He'd meant to keep one of them alive, but that strange directionally-challenged boy had entered the fray to 'help' him, throwing his entire battle strategy off-kilter. Still, he was impressed by the stranger's skill in battle. When he'd first met him earlier that day, Kurama noticed that while his spirit energy wasn't as weak as most humans, it definitely wasn't anything special. However, his _physical _strength was far higher than he'd anticipated. Indeed, to swing such an umbrella around with one hand, and indeed, it must have been heavy, being made apparently out of metal and due to the damage it inflicted on the attacking demons, this boy was no slouch. Kurama was a bit perplexed as to why he'd fight with an umbrella of all possible weapons, but he himself fought with a _rose whip_, so Kurama decided he was in no position to judge.

For the first time, Kurama actually looked at this enigma, studying him out of sheer habit. He'd always been slightly paranoid, but with good reason; with both demons and demon-hunters after him for the majority of his life, it never hurt to be cautious. This boy, despite being very strong, looked relatively scrawny. That didn't mean much, considering Yusuke's strength for his size, but it was interesting to note. Of course, the boy's slightness was probably exaggerated by the incredibly large backpack he was carrying (Kurama surmised he had been returning home from a camping trip), and he also seemed to like the color yellow a lot, wearing a yellow long-sleeved shirt as well as a yellow-and-black headband in his messy dark hair.

Before Kurama could thank the stranger, yet another person descended on the scene, this time being a young woman with blue hair and wearing a pink kimono while riding on a flying paddle. Kurama instantly recognized her as Botan, or, as she occasionally liked to be called by her charges, the 'grim reaper.' Kurama almost laughed at the juxtaposition. Even ignoring her appearance, Botan was likely the least grim person he knew.

"Kurama!" She shouted, descending on the two. "Spirit World just detected a massive spike of demon energy here! Is something wrong?"

"Demon energy? Spirit World?" The boy asked in confusion.

The red-haired student shook his head. "No, this young man and I handled the problem. Although," He got more serious. "I am curious as to why you're discussing this in front of an ordinary human."

Botan seemed to notice the boy with the headband for the first time. "O-Oh... well, it seems like he was helping you, so I just assumed..."

"Well you assumed incorrectly." Kurama said, but with a slight smile. He didn't care either way what this boy knew. Besides, he probably didn't understand a word she'd said...

"Demons?" He asked again, and suddenly puffed his chest out in a show of bravado. "Well, no thanks are necessary, you two. As a martial artist, it is my duty to combat-"

"More importantly, these demons were all working together." Kurama said, not paying him any attention and motioning towards the pile of corpses that would likely have to be cleaned up by some Spirit World ogres. "I've never seen demons, let alone unintelligent low-class ones like these, work as a team in such a large number. There's something wrong here."

Botan nodded in comprehension. "I see. I'll get Yusuke on this right away." She tilted her head, sensing for him. "...Why is he in Nerima?"

Both Kurama and the strange boy started at the mention. Kurama had not planned on walking the stranger to his destination, but he thought it _would _be prudent to team up once again with Yusuke. After all, there was something going on... something _big._

Botan seemed to be thinking the same thing. "I'll fly on ahead. Kurama, you get there as soon as you can."

Kurama tilted his head in bemusement. "Now since when have you had the authority to order me around?" When Botan flushed and began stuttering, he just smiled and said, "I'm only joking of course. I myself am curious about this turn of events. And I can take this stray boy home while I'm at it."

"It's Ryoga." The boy said as Botan took off.

"Well, Ryoga. I'm Kurama." The demon said, extending his hand and seeing no reason to hide his real name since Botan had already shouted it aloud. "Let's get moving."

* * *

Yusuke was once again surprised by the agility of the supposedly-ordinary human, but he still kept up with Ranma easily as the student from Furinkan led him to a deserted area. "Just don't run away if you end up hurting a weak little girl again!" Yusuke warned.

"..._Weak...little....girl?!_" Ranma growled, turning on Urameshi.

"Yeah, you heard me." Yusuke challenged. "I mean, I never pegged you for a coward, but after last time, I'm not so sure." He taunted.

Ranma clenched his fists in rage and looked around. The two had made it to a large grassy field far from the Tendo household. There was the occasional house here-or-there, but for the most part, the two seemed to be in a deserted area. "That's _it_. We finish the here." Ranma declared.

Yusuke smirked. "Fine with-"

Before the words were even out of Yusuke's mouth, Ranma had leaped forward and delivered a powerful punch, hitting Yusuke in the face once again. As the Spirit Detective stumbled backwards, Ranma took advantage of the situation and, after muttering something about "chestnuts" and an "open fire," he struck Yusuke countless times in the stomach at insane speeds.

* * *

Pantyhose Taro observed his longtime rival Ranma battling some other boy in green from afar. He glanced up at the cloudy sky. _'Good...' _It was sure to start raining again soon, and once that happened, those two would be no match for him. Taro's mouth widened into a sadistic smirk. _'Let's see you get out of this one, Saotome.'_

* * *

Yusuke returned Ranma's attack with strikes of his own, forcing the Furinkan student back. "You sure don't pull any punches." Yusuke muttered, trying to regain his composure after the barrage on his gut.

"Then why are _you_?" Ranma asked angrily. "You've got that 'Spirit Gun' move, right? What's stopping you from using it?" He smirked. "What, are you afraid that you might hurt little-old-me?" Yusuke grimaced, which made Ranma smirk wider. Just seconds before, Saotome had been the angry one, but he'd somehow turned the tables on Yusuke. "Trust me, that attack is way to weak to lay me out." He taunted.

"...Weak, huh?" Yusuke growled, getting back up. He knew Ranma was goading him, but that punk's superior attitude was really getting onto his nerves. He aimed his pointer finger at the other student, gathering his spirit energy. "Well, you want it, you got it: _Spirit Gun!_"

Yusuke's entire vision was taken up by the glow of the powerful blast, temporarily blinding him. Apparently, this is what Ramna had counted on, appearing in Yusuke's peripheral vision. However, the Spirit Detective was unable to move in time and was once again decked by Ranma, sending him flying for the umpteenth time.

_'DAMMIT!_' Yusuke practically screamed in his head. He _knew _he was stronger than Ranma, but Saotome was just too damned _clever_! He'd only seen the Spirit Gun once, but had already figured out a way around it! He'd goaded Yusuke into shooting at him, and before Yusuke could finish the shot, he'd dodged the blast attacked from another angle! The boy was clearly hotheaded like Yusuke himself, but his intelligence in battle reminded Yusuke of Kurama. Yusuke knew he had to end it quickly. Sure, he still had moves like his Shotgun, but with his ace in the hole gone, Yusuke determined his best bet was to pummel Ranma into submission before he could determine a way to beat his entire fighting style.

Yusuke quickly landed on the ground, and, reversing his trajectory, rushed straight at Ranma, swinging wildly. However, not a single one of his punches hit their mark. Ranma was expertly dodging the strikes, keeping a serene look on his face. This, of course, made Yusuke even angrier and he began attacking more wildly, never noticing the spiral shape their footprints were making in the soggy grass. Once they reached the center of the spiral, however, Ranma's foot caught on a rock and he stumbled backwards.

_'Perfect!' _Yusuke thought, bringing his fist up to strike at his enemy. At that exact moment, however, lightning struck and the rainstorm returned in full force. Before he knew what happened, Yusuke was no longer staring at Ranma on the ground, but that red-haired Ranko girl. He noted, however, she didn't have the weak-and-innocent look she'd been sporting before. Instead, her eyes were fiery with determination that matched that of Ranma himself.

"Wait, how did...?" Yusuke paused as he was caught utterly off guard, which, incidentally, was just how Ranma liked it.

Ranko, or rather, Ranma brought her fist up, uppercuting Yusuke and propelling him into the air by means of a powerful tornado. "_Hiryu Shoten HA!"_

* * *

Well, I think Yusuke just learned the same lesson most Ranma 1/2 villain learn fairly quickly: Even if you have the advantage initially, once Ranma Saotome knows your fighting style, all bets are off! You see, most of the YYH characters, being from an action show where they usually win with brute force and perseverance, are going to be more powerful. However, the Ranma cast, being from a comedy manga where most people win by learning enough about their foe to outsmart them, will generally be intelligent enough to give them a run for their money. At least generally.

Wow... I just called the Ranma cast _smart_, didn't I?

Please review! Nothing makes an author on this site want to update more than getting reviews!


	4. Teamwork

Of Demons and Cursed Springs

Hey everyone, I'm back! Sorry about the delay, but school this year has been really killer! I have some free time now, though, so I hope to spend that time updating some of my fanfics, and this one definitely needs it!

This might not be quite as polished as I wanted yet, but if I don't post this now, I probably won't be able to for a little while, and this thing has waited for updates long enough!

Chapter 4

Countless pools of water extended as far as the eye could see, with multiple tall bamboo poles growing out of each. Jusenkyo. Herb, flanked by his subordinates Mint and Lime, smirked. It had taken a while, but they had finally made it back to the cursed springs. All that was left was to find the Spring of Drowned Man, and then he could be finally free of his curse. _'It won't be long now.'_

Of course, as Ranma had learned many times, things are never that easy when it comes to Jusenkyo.

Herb noticed something odd about the many pools. In every single one of them, the water appeared to be _boiling. _Herb knelt down next to one and cautiously placed his hand in. Being the descendant of a dragon, heat wasn't really a worry for him, but getting cursed a _second _time... he refused to let that happen. Stangley, though, the water was not hot at all. It was hardly even lukewarm! Still, that made the state of the pools even more worrisome. "What on earth is happening here?" Herb wondered aloud.

He received an answer in the form of a powerful growl coming from behind him. In one motion, the Prince of the Musk Dynasty stood, turned around, and got into his fighter's stance. Oddly, the noise was coming from Lime! The tiger-like warrior was hunched over, and staring at Herb with a violent, animal-like look, no pun intended. "What are you doing?" Herb questioned, only for his subordinate to rush forward, swinging his fist at the prince. Herb batted Lime away, only to be sucker-punched by Mint.

Herb quickly recovered and grimaced at his two team members, who were gearing up for another attack. "What the hell is wrong with you two?!" Herb shouted angrily as they charged forward.

* * *

Ranma smirked as she eyed the boy in green blast off into the sky. _'That should take care of Urameshi.' _She thought, putting her hands in her pockets and starting to walk off. "Yessir, I shouldn't have to worry about him anymo-"

She was startled out of her musings by a loud monstrous roar. A very familiar monstrous roar. A roar that belonged to...

"Pantyhose Taro!" Ranma shouted, wheeling around to see Taro's gigantic chimera form rushing at her from a distant hill. "Dammit Pantyhose, I'm not in the mood for this right now!" The fact that it was raining would mean that Ramna would have a tough time transforming Taro back to normal, or even transforming _herself_ male again. This was going to be a nuisance...

The winged, yeti-like creature flung his gigantic fist at the martial artist, but Ranma dodged to the side. Taro swung his other fist horizontally, so Ranma leapt into the air to avoid it. Unfortunately, she forgot about Taro's other animal parts, and, just as she was mentally planning her counterattack, she was swatted out of the air by a barrage of octopus tentacles extending from the monster's back.

As Ranma fell to the ground, Taro grabbed the small-framed girl in both of his monstruous hands and lifted her up, shaking her. This didn't seem to be an ordinary attack strategy, though. The monster seemed to be... no, he _had _to be... _looking_ for something.

_'What the hell is Pantyhose Taro looking for?' _Ranma thought, as she attempted to free her arms from the monster's grip. _'Damn it!'_ Ranma's girl form might have been more agile than when she was in her usual body, but it was also weaker. It didn't help that she was already tired out from her duel with Urameshi.. Speaking of Uramashi, where was-

_"Spirit Gun!" _

Ranma saw a large explosion behind the monster, and Pantyhose Taro released her as he turned to face his assaulter. Ranma, too, landed on her feet and looked towards her apparent savior.

There stood Yusuke Urameshi, battered and bruised from the Hiryu Shoten Ha, but still standing confidently with his right index finger pointed at the behemoth. "Don't worry _little girl_, I don't know where this big guy came from, but demons are my speciality!" He had clearly figured out Ranma's masquerade, but there were more important things to worry about now.

"If you say so!" Ranma shouted across the lot. "But just remembered that this 'little girl' is the one who beat you!"

"Beat me?" Yusuke laughed back. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm still standing. It took a while for me to fall all the way back down after that last attack of yours, but I'm still ready to continue our fight!"

Pantyhose Taro, both enraged by the blast to his back, and also annoyed by the fact he was being ignored, rushed towards the newcomer with a loud roar. Yusuke simply got into his fighter's stance, and, once the beast was right in front of him, shouted "But first I'll handle this demon! _Shotgun!"_ Taro was hit in the stomach by a dozen's of small energy blasts and stumbled backwards.

Ranma was ready, however, utilizing her own signature energy blast "_Moko Takabisha!"_ Emboldened by the appearance of an unlikely ally as well as her desire to outperform Yusuke, the confidence-based blast was incredibly powerful, striking the creature in the back and knocking Pantyhose Taro to ground unconscious.

"I didn't know you could do that too!" Yusuke said, jogging over. "And I didn't know you were secretly a girl either!" He joked, barely avoiding Ranma's reflexive punch to his face. Obviously Ranma didn't like jokes about whatever they hell his/her condition was, but that certainly wasn't going to stop Yusuke. "Man, I can't wait to tell Kuwabara about this! He'll have a huge fit!"

Ranma gave an incredibly fake smile and said back, "Yeah, and then I can tell him not only did you lose, but you lost to a _girl_!"

Yusuke shook his head. "Wait a minute, we've been over this! I didn't lose. Your transformation just caught be off guard is all. And besides, it if you're Ranko, then I guess I beat you the first time!"

"Except _I _was caught off that some random high schooler could shoot his chi like that! Besides, it was raining and I wanted to avoid having my secret exposed!" Ranma shouted back. At this point, the two were standing face to face as they glared at each other. Pantyhose Taro made a grunting noise, and the two simultaniously punched the monster on the head, knocking him further into unconsciousness.

"So we each have one win due to being surprised." Yusuke summarized. "So what now? And what do we do about this guy?" He jerked his head at the chimera laying on the ground.

"Let's take him back to Akane's house." Ranma said. "And I'll make you a deal. You keep my curse quiet from your friends, and I won't tell them _helpless little Ranko." _She said, suddenly adopting the appearance of a weak-and innocent high school girl before reverting back to her loud borish self "sent you flying hundreds of feet into the air."

"...Fine." Yusuke said, shaking her hand. "But just what the hell is this condition of yours anyways?"

Ranma explained it, and Yusuke sincerly wished he hadn't made the deal. Messing with Saotome could have been so fun!

* * *

"They've been gone a long time." Keiko said, looking out into the Tendo's banzai garden.

"Eh, they're probably just still fightin'." Kuwabara shrugged, downing another cup of tea. "Urameshi gets a little crazy when it comes to fights."

Keiko ignored Kuwabara's completely hypocritical statement and noticed that the boy had something else on his mind. She had a pretty good idea what, too. "Do you think Ranko will be okay." Keiko asked Akane.

"Um... yeah." Akane said absendmindedly as she gazed at the falling rain. "I'm sure he's... she's fine."

This seemed to relieve Kuwabara when they suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Hey!" Male Ranma said, entering carrying both an umbrella and the unconscious human form of Pantyhose Taro. Ranma had quickly heated some water while Yusuke bought an umbrella before returning. Carrying an uncounscious yeti might have been a little difficult otherwise. "We've got a bit of a problem."

"Pantyhose Taro!" Akane shouted, jumping to her feet.

Yusuke and Kuwabara both snickered at the name, and Keiko looked confused, but it was clear they had more important things to worry about.

"Quick, tie this guy down and keep him away from cold water!" Ranma commanded.

"Or what, Furinkan boy?" Kuwabara challenged. Despite his previous attempt to appear sophisticated, being ordered around by some cowerdly punk from a rival school was not something he would do willingly.

"Do what he says, Kuwabara." Yusuke said. "This guy can turn into a giant monster if he gets wet."

Kuwabara eyed the body with a much greater sense of dread. After all, the younger Toguro was pretty much a giant monster. If this guy was anything like that...

"Yusuke!" Botan shouted, flying into the banzai garden on her paddle, cursing herself for once again ignoring the present onlookers, but justifying it based on Yukuke's last statment, and dismounting (in that order) rushed to the spirit detective. "We've got a bit of a problem." She said, unknowingly echoing Ranma's previous statement.

"Great." Yusuke muttered sarcastically. _'Looks like things just went from bad to worse.'_

* * *

"_Hito Ryu-zan Ha!_" Herb shouted, blasting away at his former team members. He didn't know why they were suddenly acting like feral beasts, and, altough he would rather not, he was still willing to put them down if they resisted.

"Enough." Said a deep voice behind him, and Lime and Mint stood down. Herb turned quickly, only to spot a strange looking man. He was wearing a brown cape that surrounded his body, while his black hair stood up like horns. Additionally, although most of his body was covered by the cape, his remaining exposed skin was adorned with intricate tatoos. "It seems you possess the willpower to resist my influence." The strange man said, eying Herb curiously.

"So you're the one who's controlling these two!" Herb shouted back, gesturing at Mint and Lime. "And I bet you're the one who did this to Jusenkyo!" He prepared to fight. "Anyone who prevents me from curing myself is in for one hell of a fight!"

The enigmatic man simply snapped his fingers with a bored expression and Mint and Lime each grabbed hold of one of Herb's arms. Herb threw them off, but when he looked back to the man, he was gone.

"Behind you." The deep voice said. Herb wheeled around for the third time that day, only to recieve a punch to the gut.

"W-what?!" Herb gasped out, falling to his knees. This human was strong. Was he another descendant of an animal? Herb didn't remember him from the Musk Dynasty. Was he some sort of dissenter? No... Herb couldn't sense any animal chi in him. He did, however, sense _something_, buried deep in the man. Something both powerful and inhuman. It was like nothing the prince had sensed before.

"Strange. Your spirit energy is neither human nor beast. It's some sort of mix. I sense it in your friends too, but yours is especially powerful for some reason."

"What of it?" Herb coughed, getted back to his feet, only to have them swept out from under him. _'Damn! This guy isn't even giving me a chance to get my bearings. Just what the hell is he?!'_

The man ignored Herb's words and continued to talk. "It would be a shame to kil someone with your power. I feel you would to better on my side."

"Work for _you_?!" Herb spat, indignant. "I am no man's puppet!"

The stranger snapped his fingers again signaling Mint and Lime to pin Herb to the ground. He reached into the folds of his brown cloak and produced a glowing yellowish insect. "That was not a request, human."

* * *

All right! How was it? I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, but I must say that the one thing that motivates me is reviews! Seriously, this is on more favorites, alerts, and C2s than the significant majority of my other works, and yet it has so few reviews based on that! Come on, guys! I like hearing what you have to say; it helps me improve! Plus, I've only got the bare-bones plot thought up, so you can make suggestions as to what you want to see. No promises that I'll use them, but I've often been inspired by some reviewer's random comment. So what do you say? Just a quick review? Please [/grubbing]

On that note, thanks to the people who _are _reviewing! I write for the readers!


End file.
